Man in bag: I was following rabbi's orders

'I say to the the critics, do us a favor – leave us alone and treat us kindly and politely'

Published: 04/18/2013 at 12:55 AM

(YNetNews) The ultra-Orthodox man who was photographed wrapped in a large plastic bag during a flight told Ynet on Sunday that he was “simply following my rabbi’s orders.”

The picture caught the attention of international media, as initially it was thought that he was distancing himself from women in accordance with strict rules of gender segregation in public.

The New York Daily News later explained that the man was a Kohen, a descendant of the Jewish priests who presided over the Temple, and as the aircraft flew over a cemetery he covered himself in a plastic bag so he could remain pure. Under Jewish law, Kohanim are banned from going near cemeteries.